The Religious Traditions of Japan 500–1600

Richard Bowring describes in outline the development of Japanese religious thought and practice from the introduction of writing to the point at which medieval attitudes gave way to a distinctive pre-modern culture, a change that brought an end to the dominance of religious institutions. A wide range of approaches using the resources of art, history, social and intellectual history, as well as doctrine is brought to bear on the subject. The result is as full a picture as possible of the richness of the Japanese tradition as it succeeded in holding together on the one hand Buddhism, with its sophisticated intellectual structures, and on the other hand the disparate local cults that eventually achieved a kind of unity under the rubric of Shintō. An understanding of this process of constant and at times difficult interaction is essential to a deeper appreciation of Japan's history and its cultural achievements.

Reviews & endorsements

'An absolute must for graduate courses on Japanese religion. It is unlikely to be eclipsed by another general English-language work on the history of religion in pre-modern Japan for many years to come.' Gary P. Leupp, Journal of the American Academy of Religion

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Product details

• Date Published: March 2008
• format: Paperback
• isbn: 9780521720274
• length: 502 pages

• dimensions: 228 x 152 x 30 mm
• weight: 0.8kg
• contains: 34 b/w illus. 11 maps
• availability: Available